Pamela S. Ritter, Ronald V. Hite, and Brian Noland at the dedication of the Ronald V. Hite Boardroom

During a ceremony on Aug. 22, the ETSU Foundation and East Tennessee State University celebrated the dedication of the Ronald V. Hite Boardroom, located in The Model Mill.

Hite has been a strong supporter of ETSU since 1989, serving on various university boards. In addition to holding the presidency of the National Alumni Association, he led the ETSU Foundation as chair for four years and chaired the institution’s comprehensive campaign, “The Campaign for ETSU,” that launched in 2019.

“When the time came to launch our comprehensive campaign, we needed to have the right person chairing the campaign, and I knew exactly who that person should be,” said Pamela S. Ritter, vice president for University Advancement and president/CEO of the ETSU Foundation. “Ron had been a successful leader throughout every stage of his career. He is a man of integrity and of wisdom, and a voice of confidence and trust.”

Hite said yes, Ritter added, and by the close of the campaign, more than $163 million  – more than $40 million over the original goal of $120 million – had been raised.

Ritter noted that it was through Hite’s leadership that the ETSU Foundation and ETSU University Advancement made the move to their current headquarters at The Model Mill.

“There is no other name that is more deserving of this honor, because if not for Ron Hite, the Foundation would not be in this building,” she said. “As the renovation on The Model Mill was being done, it was Ron Hite who stepped forward and said the ETSU Foundation needed to invest in this space, that this very building should be our home. And with this vote of support from Ron, we are here today.”

Hite is a member of the ETSU Class of 1964. Following attendance at the Army Infantry Officers Basic Course, Airborne and Ranger schools, Hite served the nation for 33 distinguished years, commanding at virtually every level and holding many unique positions during assignments throughout the United States, Germany, Vietnam and Korea.

Hite testified as the principal military witness for Research, Development and Acquisition Authorizations and Appropriations with Congress. In addition, he led the Army’s Program Executive Officer System responsible for developing, producing, and deploying all of the Army’s systems and served as director of the Army Acquisition Corps. 

He spent the last five years of his career in the Pentagon, first as the deputy for systems management and, upon promotion to three stars, as the military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Army for Research, Development, and Acquisition; the senior military adviser to the Army acquisition executive; and Army chief of staff on all research, development, and acquisition programs and related issues.  

Hite retired from the Army on July 1, 1997, and joined Cypress International, where he later retired from the position of chair and CEO in 2005. He is one of the first members inducted into the ETSU Army ROTC Hall of Fame, an inaugural inductee into the U.S. Army National Hall of Fame, and a member of the ETSU College of Business and Technology Hall of Fame. 

In addition, he is the recipient of the ETSU Distinguished Alumni Award, Outstanding Alumnus Award, and ETSU 's highest alumni award, the George L. Carter Award.

East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.

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